20/20: The Hand in the Window – "Be On the Lookout"

ABC News | Broadcast Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Debra Roberts | Reporter: John Quinones

Episode Overview

In this third installment of "The Hand in the Window," the 20/20 team revisits the cases of missing women in Ashland, Ohio, focusing on the disappearance of Stacy Stanley. The episode blends gripping interviews with the family, pivotal police interrogation audio, and narration to unravel the tangled web connecting Stanley’s case to a frightening spree of abductions and assaults. Central to the story is Detective Kim Major’s extraordinary interrogation of Sean Grate—the man suspected of abducting and killing multiple women.

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

Introducing Stacy Stanley: A Family’s Anchor

[00:51 – 03:08]

• Portrait of Stacy Stanley: A vibrant, punk rock grandmother beloved by her family—remembered for her big heart, classic rock karaoke, and her role as the “glue” in the Stanley household.
• Family Reflections:
  • “She was one of the most kindest people you would ever meet. Do anything for anybody. Was like the major part of our family that brought everybody together.” — Gina Stanley [02:14]
  • Stacy’s sons, Corey and Curtis, describe her as loving, caring, and devoted.
  • Notable moment: Stacy’s incessant phone check-ins with her sons, highlighting her deep attachment.

The Disappearance: From Errand to Emergency

[03:08 – 06:09]

• September 8, 2016: Stacy travels to Ashland for errands, including a stop at Walmart and a nail salon. On the way home, she gets a flat tire, calls her sons for help, and interacts with a helpful stranger at a gas station.
  • “Her whole demeanor changed, like she was like, all happy, giggly, like her normal self, you know.” — Corey Stanley [04:47]
  • The family’s friend fixes her tire; Stacy’s last call to her son ends with “I love you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” [05:43]
• Alarm Bells: When Stacy doesn’t check in the next day, her family visits her trailer and finds her beloved dogs unattended—a clear sign something is amiss.

The Search Intensifies: Family and Community Mobilize

[06:09 – 10:42]

• The family retraces her route, contacts police, and canvasses the town with flyers and volunteer searchers.
  • “We had a good 70, 80 of us walking the streets handing out flyers. Like I had printed off like almost 2 or 3,000 flyers.” — Curtis Stanley [10:06]
• Key Evidence: Stacy’s car is found parked oddly, with the driver’s seat pushed back and unfamiliar cigarettes inside—suggesting someone else drove it after she vanished.

Connecting Disappearances: A Trend in Ashland

[10:42 – 12:04]

• The Stanley case is contextualized alongside two other cases: Elizabeth Griffith, missing for three weeks, and the fresh abduction of Jane Doe. The abandoned homes in Ashland become a sinister focal point.

Detective Kim Major’s Interrogation: Breaking Sean Grate

[15:12 – 32:22]

• Detective Preparation: Kim Major, known for her deft interrogation skills, is tasked with getting answers from suspect Sean Grate about Jane Doe and possibly other missing women.
  • “I might do a little bit of history to try to get a baseline... In his case, I knew nothing.” — Detective Kim Major [17:00]
• Building Rapport:
  • Major gets Grate’s handcuffs removed, offers him coffee, and uses a gentle, empathetic tone, even as she acknowledges the risks:
    • “I have a flaw where I am focused on what I need to get, and my safety sometimes doesn't even come to mind.” — Detective Kim Major [19:40]
• The Confession Unfolds:
  • Grate initially blames his homelessness and troubled childhood:
    • “So really, it's all Ashlyn's fault for everything that I've done.” — Sean Grate [21:45]
    • Details his mother’s abandonment (Major responds empathetically).
  • Through slow, methodical questioning, Major dismantles Grate’s justifications for assaulting Jane Doe:
    • “But tying her up and forcing her into sex is not free.” — Detective Kim Major [26:54]
    • Grate confesses: “I abducted her and raped her.” [27:44]
  • Grate admits to additional crimes: strangulation, threats, sedation, and filming the assault.
    • “Earlier in my career, I probably would have stopped right at Jane Doe… this case was bigger…” — Detective Kim Major [28:18]

Expanding the Scope: Suspicion of More Victims

[28:28 – 32:22]

• Major presses Grate for information on both Elizabeth Griffith and Stacy Stanley.
  • She appeals to his conscience and persistence, trying to draw out details.
  • Grate alternates between cryptic admissions and evasiveness:
    • “I might not be able to take you to her. Maybe someone else or others.” — Sean Grate [31:15]
    • “How many are there?” – Detective Kim Major
      “Depends on how much you say is many.” – Sean Grate [31:21]
    • According to Major: “I feel played with.”
• Notable Reflection: Despite decades of experience and over a thousand interviews, Major acknowledges the unique psychological complexity of this interrogation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 02:14 | "She was one of the most kindest people you would ever meet." | Gina Stanley | | 04:47 | “She was like, all happy, giggly, like her normal self, you know.” | Corey Stanley | | 06:44 | “There's no way. She loved them dogs so much. And at that point, we kind of knew something was wrong.” | Corey Stanley | | 10:06 | “We had a good 70, 80 of us walking the streets handing out flyers...” | Curtis Stanley | | 17:00 | “In his case, I knew nothing. So my goal was to walk...” | Detective Kim Major | | 19:40 | “I have a flaw where I am focused on what I need to get, and my safety sometimes doesn't even come to mind.” | Detective Kim Major | | 21:45 | “So really, it's all Ashlyn's fault for everything that I've done.” | Sean Grate | | 26:54 | “But tying her up and forcing her into sex is not free.” | Detective Kim Major | | 27:44 | “I abducted her and raped her.” | Sean Grate | | 28:18 | “Earlier in my career, I probably would have stopped right at Jane Doe. I would have walked out of the room and maybe did some high fives with people that I got a confession.” | Detective Kim Major | | 31:21 | “I might not be able to take you to her. Maybe someone else or others.” | Sean Grate |

Key Takeaways

• The disappearance of Stacy Stanley catalyzed a community-wide search, highlighting both family determination and the chilling realization that multiple women were vanishing under similar circumstances in Ashland.
• Detective Kim Major’s empathetic yet strategic interview techniques underscore both the risks and skill involved in breaking down dangerous suspects' defenses.
• Sean Grate’s confession illuminates not only the crimes but also the manipulative and self-excusing mindset of the perpetrator.
• The full extent of Grate’s crimes remains uncertain as the episode concludes, leaving listeners unsettled but gripped by the real-time unraveling of a dark case.

For listeners interested in true crime, investigative psychology, or the resilience of families in the face of tragedy, this episode weaves together intimate testimony and methodical police work for a tense, emotionally charged narrative.